Bruins slug way to series sweep over CBC; 10-1, 11-3

Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score | MCAC Standings

OMAHA, Neb. -- The 21st-ranked Bellevue University baseball team completed a four-game conference home series sweep over Central Baptist College, taking Friday's twinbill, 10-1 and 11-3, on Senior Day.

The Bruins used solid pitching, while pounding out 27 hits on the day, en route to the series sweep. Bellevue's 12 seniors were honored in between games. 

Bellevue, which has now won 12-straight games, improved to 34-13-2 on the season and finished 18-6 in the MCAC. The Bruins finished second in the MCAC regular season standings. Central Baptist fell to 29-22 overall and 11-13 in league play. The Mustangs are still in contention for the four-team MCAC Tournament.

BU will conclude the regular season on Sunday (April 26) with a 3 p.m. non-conference contest at Werner Park against Briar Cliff University. The game has also been designated as "Tanner's Day," a special fundraiser to benefit the fight against Ewings Sarcoma, a malignant bone tumor which effects children. Admission is $5 and all proceeds will benefit cancer research.

Game 1: Bellevue 10, Central Baptist 1

Galli Cribbs drove in four runs and Kyle Kinman picked up his eighth win of the season as Bellevue cruised to the 10-1 win in the opener. Charlie Krueger went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles as BU outhit the Mustangs, 13-8, in the win. 

Neither team scored until a two-run single by Joe Mancuso and an RBI single by Aaron Brasher gave the Bruins a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth. 

The Mustangs sliced the lead to 3-1 in the top of the fifth on an RBI single to center by Myles Hiebert. 

A three-run inside-the-park home run by Cribbs highlighted a four-run sixth inning for BU, extending the Bruin advantage to 7-1.

A solo homer to left center field by pinch hitter Devin Ferguson and an RBI single to right by Zack Clark sparked a three-run eighth as BU pushed the lead to 10-1. 

Kinman (8-2) allowed eight hits while striking out 10 and walking two in eight innings of work. His eight wins ties Ricky Holm for the team high. 

Ross Westbrook (6-3), who entered the game with a 1.82 ERA, suffered the loss, allowing 13 hits and nine earned runs with four strikeouts in eight innings on the mound. 

Game 2: Bellevue 11, Central Baptist 3

Bellevue used a seven-run sixth inning to pull away for an 11-3 victory in he nightcap. Kinman went 4-for-4 with two doubles and four RBIs to pace BU at the plate. 

A two-run double down the right field line by Kinman gave BU a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning.

Heibert's sacrifice fly to deep left field cut the BU lead to 2-1 in the top of the fourth frame. 

The Bruins responded in the bottom of the fourth, scoring on a sacrifice fly to center by Tyler Blood, giving BU a 3-1 edge. 

Brandon Papera led off the top of the fifth with a solo homer that bounced up and over the left field fence to pull the Mustangs to within one run at 3-2. 

After consecutive singles by Cribbs and Kinman, Krueger's sacrifice fly to left field plated Cribbs to extend the BU advantage to 4-2 in the bottom of the fifth.

Bellevue erupted for seven runs on six hits in the sixth to pull away for an 11-2 lead. Clark, Cribbs, Kinman, Krueger and Nate Mullins all drove in runs in the inning. Mullins belted a two-run homer to left to highlight the inning. Kinman also drove in two runs with a single to right field. 

The Mustangs added their third run in the top of the seventh on a sacrifice fly to deep left by Santez Richardson.

Sarcone improved to 5-3 on the season with the complete-game win. He allowed just four hits while striking out five and walking one.